Method of forming decorated metal objects



y 5, 1932- A. o. JOHNSON METHOD OF FORMING DECORATED METAL OBJECTS Filed Oct. 14. 1951 Patented July 5,1932

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, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS men or roams mmm mar. oamc'rs Application fled October 14, 1831. Strlll R0. 588,889.

The present application is a continuation in part of m prior app 'cation Serial No. 553,484, filed uly 27, 1931.

The present invention relates to the art of decorating metal to give it any desired surface ornamentation; and it has for its object to produce a' simple and novel method of producing the desired surface ornamentation'through decorative coatings which shall be tough and'elastic and, in effect, form an integral part of the structure as a whole.

- There is a large field in which sheet metal objects have been formed or shaped so as no.

longer to be flat, and must carry surface ornamentation. Viewed in one ofits aspects, the present invention may be said to have for its object so to cover surfaces of metal sheets with tough, elastic, decorative coatings that the sheets may be worked or formed in dies- 80 into desired shapes without damaging the decorations.

In carrying out my invention, I first apply to the metal surface a ground coat which will ordinarily, but not necessarily in every inv 2 stance, be pigmented ,with suitable colors. If

the nature of the decoration or ornamentation is such that rare woods, for example, are .to be imitated, the pigment in this ground coat will correspond in color to the ground 80 colors of the woods. The ornamental efiect or design is then completed by the imposition upon the ground coat of a printed or lithographed transfer or decalcomania. Where woods are to be imitated, the transfers or decalcomanias will represent the grain of the wood. After the decorating has been completed, as will be explained more in detail hereafter, the sheets may be worked or formed in dies.

It is a comparatively simple matter to decorate a flat metal surface with a decalcomania or transfer, but great difiiculty has always been experienced in producing a product of this kind which will stand up under the operation of shaping the sheet metal in dies or otherwise. The commercial practice in this.

decorations during the forming processesQ However, various difiiculties are encountered by reason of the presence of the paper during the forming, operations. Viewed in one of its aspects, my invention may be said to have for its object to decorate a metal sheet with a painter color film or films in such a manner that the sheet may be bent or drawn or be otherwise worked after the paper backing of the transfer or decalcomania has been removed and without requiring the presence of the backing to protect the decoration or ornamentation while the sheet is being worked.

The present invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is aperspectiv'e view of a sheet of metal to which there has been applied a decalcomania, the paper backing still remain ing, and portions being broken away to expose all of the various layers; and Fig. 2 is an elevation showing conventionally a set of bending dies about to close on a decorated metal sheet to bend-the sheet.

The ground coat must be of such a character that, at the end of the decorating process, it .will adhere tenaciously to the metal and be toughand elastic. used for this purpose a varnish composed of synthetic gums ground in oils and pigmented lithographing upon transfer paper coated with a water-soluble gum.

When the color film is to be attached, the ound coat is made tacky, or somewhat yielding, plastic or impressionable through the application of a suitable substance, compound or mixture, of a character depending on the type of ground coat.- This substance, compound or mixture may be applied directly to the ground coat; it may be applied to the color film in .which case it. does not come in contact with the ground coat until the color I have successfully film is laid on the groundcoat; or it may be mono-ethyl ether of ethylene; and parts of water.

Since the products of the above formulae are in liquid form, the simplest way of applying them is simply to dip the transfer into the liquid and then to lay it, color sidedown, on the ground coat, the paper backing being, of course, uppermost. The transfer or decalcomania is then pressed fiat and into intimate contact with the ground coat, preferably by means of roller pressure. The product is then allowed to dry and, after drying, the

- paper backing is removed in the usual way and any gum left on the color film is washed off so as to leave a clean surface. After this, the sheet is baked for a considerable time. I have obtained good results by baking for a period of from one hour to an hour and a half at a temperature in the neighborhood of 250 F., but the time, as well as the temperature, may be varied.

The process of applying the decalcomania to the metal may be a continuous one, the decalcomanias being employed in long strip or roll form and being drawn through the liquid just before bein passed between pressure rolls along with t e coated metal.

When the sheet is removed from the baking oven, the coatings on the metal form a single tough, elastic layer which adheres to the metalso eifectively that the metal may be bent or drawn without cracking the decorative layer or coating and without in any way marring the appearance of the latter. Therefore, the

sheet may be placed in forming dies and formed in the usual way, just as though it were a plain sheet of metal.

It is not necessary that the product, when it leaves the baking oven, have a polished surface, it being suflicient that the decorative coating be of a character thatwill permit lacquer or the like to be sprayed over-the same before the object is put to its final use.

So far as I am aware, I am the first successfully to bend sharply or work up in formmg dies comparatively thick metal sheets decorated with printed or lithographed transfers or decalcomanias in oil colors or pigments,

without employing some protective layer or covering for the decoration during the shapmg or forming operation.

As heretofore stated, the substance, compound or mixture by which the design is caused to be united to the ground coat is of a character to render the ground coat tacky or somewhat yielding, plastic or impressionable,

whereb under the pressure subsequently applied, t e design becomes firmly united to the ground coat. Then, by the bakin operation, the ground coat and the design become integrated into a single body; the baking, of course, also altering the character of the composite coating to harden and toughen it without rendering it brittle or altering the design. In Figure 1 of the drawing, 1 represents a sheet of metal and 2 the ground coat thereon. Laid upon the ground coat, face down, is a decalcomania consisting of a paint or ink film 3 printed in the usual way on a water-soluble gum coating on a paper backing 4. Before the decalcomania is applied provision is made for the presence of a medium between the ground coat and the decorative paint or ink film to bring about an effective union between the said film and the ground coat, as heretofore explained. This material is represented in the drawing by the layer 5.

' While the decorated metal sheet in its final complete state in a fiat form may be worked up in various ways, I have, in Fig. 2 of the drawing, illustrated only one type of working,a simple bending operation. Referring to this figure of the drawing, A and B are upper and lower dies adapted to bend a flat sheet into a trough-like form. Thus, when a decorated sheet C is placed between the dies and they are closed, the side portions of the sheet are bent down at right angles to the plane ofthe central portion as indicated in dotted lines at c.

I desire that it be understood that the present invention is not limited to that which is illustrated in the drawing, as I intend to be limited only to the extent indicated by the definitions of my invention, constituting the appended claim I claim:

1. The method of decorating a metal object, which consists in applying thereto a ground coat, laying on the ground coat a printed or lithographed design secured to a gum coating on a paper backing, with a substance, compound or mixture of a character to render the ground coat tacky or somewhat yielding, plastic or impressionable interposed between the ground coat and the design, pressing the design against the ground coat, removing the backing, and baking the product.

2. The method of producing a decorated sheet metal object, which consists in apply-' ing thereto a varnish ground coat, laying on the ground coat a printed or lithegraphed design secured to a gum coating on a paper backing, with a substance, compound or mixture of a character to render the ground coat tacky or somewhat yielding, plastic or impressionable interposed between the ground coat and the desl pressing the design against the ground coat, drying, removin the paper backing, baking the decorate sheet, and forming the sheet in dies.

3. The method of decorating a metal object, which consists in applying thereto a ground coat comprisin synthetic gums or resins ground in oil,- ipping in a llquid composed of ethyl lactate, ethylenechlorohydrin, ethyl alcohol and water, a printed or llthographed design secured to a um coating on a paper backing, laying the esign face'down on the ground coat, applying pressure, removing the acking, and bakin the decorated object.

4. The method 0 reducing a sheet metal decorated object, WhlCl'l consists in applying to a metal sheet a varnish ground coat comprising synthetic gums or resins ground in oil and pigmented with colors, dipping in a liquid composed of ethyl lactate, ethylenechlorohydrin, ethyl alcohol and water a' printed or lithographed design secured to a gum coating on a paper backing, laying the design face down on the round coat, applying pressure, removing t e backing, baking the decorated sheet, and then forming the sheet into the desired shape.

5. The method of decorating a metal object, which consists in applying thereto a ground coat, laying on the ground coat a printed or lithographed design securedto a gum coating on a paper backmg, with a substance, compound or mixture of a character to render the ground coat tacky or somewhat yielding, plastic or impressionable interposed between the ground coat and the design,

pressing the desi n against the ground coat,-

removing the bee ing, and baln'ng the product for an hour or more at a temperature of about 250 F.

6. The method of producing adecorated sheet metal object, which conslsts in applying thereto a varnish ground coat pigmented with colors, laying on the ground coat a printed or lithogra-phed design secured to a gum coating on a paper backing, with a sub stance, compound or mixture of a character to render the ground coat tacky or somewhat yielding, plastic or impressionable interposed between the ground coat and the design, pressing the design against the ground coat. drying, removing the paper backing,

- 8. The method of producing tween the ground coat and the design, pressing the design against the ground coat, drying, removing the pa er backing, baking the gecorated sheet, an forming the sheet in 9. The method of decoratinga metal oh ject, which consists in a-pplyin thereto a ground coat, dipping a printed or lithographed design secured to a gum coating on a paper backing in a liquid substance, compound or mixture of a character that ill cause the design to become united with he ground coat, laying the design face down on the ground coat, applying pressure, removing the backing, and baking 'the decorated ob ect.

In witness whereof, I sign this specifiction.

ALVIN O. JOHNSON.

baking the decorated sheet for an hour or or lithographed design secured to a gum coating on a paper ba"l."",'*; ressing the design inc 

